Relamping tool for searchlights



Aug. 7, 1962 s, FELDMAN ETAL RELAMPING TOOL FOR SEARCHLIGHTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25, 1959 INVENTORX J30 2 11774 V5575? y flLFfiED ,9

HTTOFA/EW Aug. 7, 1962 Filed June 25, 1959 S. FELDMAN ET AL RELAMPING- TOOL FOR SEARCHLIGHTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Aug. 7, 1962 s. FELDMAN ETAL RELAMPING TOOL FOR SEARCHLIGHTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 35 Filed June 25, 1959 & L:

Arrap/vm 1962 s. FELDMAN ETAL 3,047,940

RELAMPING TOOL FOR SEARCHLIGHTS Filed June 25, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Tcb.

4 Tram [Yr 3,047,940 RELAMPING TOOL FOR SEARCH-[LIGHTS Sidney Feldman, New York, Sylvester A. Gregory,

Brooklyn, and Alfred J. Lawes, Flushing, N .Y., as-

signors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed June 25, 1959, Ser. No. 822,980 16 Claims. (Cl. 29-203) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) This invention relates to a tool for use in removing and replacing lamps in searchlights. The lamps commonly employed in searchlights are compact-arc electric discharge lamps that are diflicult and dangerous to handle, remove, insert or replace, due to the danger of explosion of such lamps and the necessity of waiting for a burned out lamp to cool before removing it from a search light housing. The prior method of removing such a lamp, was to Wait for several minutes after a lamp burned out, for the hot lamp to cool before the search-light housing was opened, and then to use asbestos gloves and a face mask as a safety measure in removing the cooled lamp. In naval operations such delay in replacing a burned out or defective lamp could be serious, especially where the searchlight was used in signalling or guiding some naval operation. a

An object of the invention is to provide improved means for inserting, removing or replacing a lamp in a searchlight, with which danger to an operator performing such an operation and to presons nearby due to flying fragments from an uncontained explosion of such a lamp is avoided, which makes the use of bulky protective gloves unnecessary, with which it is unnecessary to wait for a burned out lamp to'cool before it can be replaced, which enables one to quickly, easily and safely replace a lamp whether the lamp is hot or cold, and which is convenient, safe to use,

r and relatively simple and inexpensive.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of examples of the invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

7 FIG. 1 is a perspective of a tool constructed in accordance with this invention and employed with one type of sea-rch'light where the lamp is inserted or removed via the front of the searchlight housing;

FIG. 2 is a'perspective of the same tool, but as viewed at the opposite side thereof from that shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective similar to FIG. 1 of another tool embodying the invention, which is employed with another typeof searchlight where the lamp is inserted into or removed from the Searchlight housing through the rear of such housing;

FIG. 4 is a perspective of the tool shown in FIG. 3 but viewed from the opposite side from that shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the mechanism for mounting a lamp in a Searchlight housing, and illustrating by added dash lines the position relative to the lamp mounting occupied by the improved tool while a lamp is being inserted or removed from the searchlight housing;

FIG. 6 is a plan of the tool shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the upper end portion of the same; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the same, the section being taken approximately along the line 88 of FIGS. 6 and 7.

Referring first to FIG. 5, the illustrated searchlight has a housing 1 on the top of which is a casing 2. A yoke 3 depend-s from a supporting plate 4 in said casing into the housing 1 through an opening 5 in the top of the housing and beneath the casing 2. A shaft 6 is rotatably 3,d47,940 Patented Aug. 7, 1382 mounted at one end in the base of the yokeand at its other end on said plate, and intermediate of its ends this shaft is threaded. A nut 7 is threaded on the threaded part of shaft 6 and disposed between the arms of the yoke and is held against rotation by sliding engagement of its sides with the arms of the yoke.

An elongated bar 8 is detachably secured at one end to an upright face of the nut by means of a screw 9 that is threaded into the nut and has its shank passing through a notch 10 in the upper end of the bar. The screw has a flange 9a on its head that is rotatably received in and fits a circular countersunk recess 11 in the rear face of the bar, which prevents the bar 8 from dropping'when the screw 9 is tightened. The bar 8 depends from the nut 7, and a compact-arc electric discharge lamp 12 is detachably mounted on the bar through arms 13 and 14 that extend forwardly from the same face of bar 8. The details of the detachable mounting of the lamp on the bar 8 are not a part of this invention, and hence are not illustrated or described in detail herein. The bar 8 is provided, in the portion between the lamp and the screw 9, with an aperture 15 which is of greater vertical dimension across it than the width horizontally across it. The lamp supporting means including yoke 3, plate 4 and bar 8 disclosed in FIG. 5 is disclosed and claimed in a co-pending application of one of the applicants and another. It is not further described herein because this invention relates solely to the relamping tool and not to the mechanism by which the lamp is supported and the adjusted position of the lamp determined.

These lamps 12 are of a type that may explode without warning and scatter fragments, and particularly when handled while hot, and this invention relates to means for handling such lamps without material danger to the handler in the event of an explosion, and which does not require delay for a lamp to cool, before it can be replaced.

Referring first to FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, a U-shaped shell or protective shield 16 is formed of sheet metal bent into a U-shape, and the inside faces of the sides and base are lined with asbestos paper or fabric 16a. A wall 17 is provided across the upper end of this shell. This wall 17 has a notch 18- in its edge that lies approximately along the upper end of the open space or face between the arms or sides of the U at their free edges opposite from the base or cross part of the U; The vertical length of the shell is greater than the length of the lamp 12 (see FIG. 5) and its width between the sides or arms of the U is somewhat greater than the width of the lamp 12, so that the shell or shield may be positioned to receive or embrace the lamp 12 and bar 8 between the arms or sides of the U. The shell extends for at least approximately the full length of the lamp on three sides thereof, and with the bar if received in the notch 18 in the end Wall 17.

The lower end of the shell may be open because in the event of an explosion the fragments that started downwardly would not spread very much, but those that started upwardly would be inclined to spread and descend upon the operator. The fragments that went out through the open vertical face of the shell would travel in a direction away from and do no damage to the operator. The end wall 17 provides maximum possible protection to the operator from fragments that started upwardly from an exploding lamp.

The base or cross part of the U of the shell 16 extends upwardly slightly beyond the sides or arms thereof, and this upward extension 16b rotatably mounts a pin 19 that extends over the notch 18. Its end is of transverse dimensions enabling it to pass through the aperture 15 of the bar 8 when the shell or shield is advanced to receive the bar and lamp between the sides or arms of the shell. The engagement of the pin in the aperture 15 of the bar provides a temporary support for the bar and lamp thereon while one is turning screw 9 and coupling the bar 8 to or uncoupling it from the nut '7, all while shielding the operator from fiying fragments of the lamp if the lamp should explode. It also makes it possible to remove a lamp which is hot, thus avoiding any material delay in removing a lamp.

A plate-like member 21} is pivoted on the end wall 17 at 21 near the base of the U and can swing between one position shown in full lines in FIG. 6 in which it approximately closes the notch 18 except for a small portion adjacent the base of the U through which the bar 8 can extend, and another position shown in dash lines in FIG. 6 in which it clears the notch 18 entirely to perrnit the bar 8 to move along the notch to the bottom thereof as the shield is moved to embrace a lamp and its support. A handle 22 on the member 20 makes the member easy to move on its pivot 21 between its two positions.

The free end of the pin 19 has a hook or flange 2 3 which after passing through the aperture of bar 8 can engage with a face of the bar and prevent accidental disengagement of the bar from the pin 19. The aperture 15 is preferably longer in one direction than the other, such as longer in a direction parallel to the length of bar 8. The pin 19 while mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis is held against endwise movement by bushings 24 and 24b fixedly secured to the pin 19 at opposite faces of the upward extension 1612. Pin 19 extends outwardly beyond the bushing 24b where it terminates in an angular end 25 that serves as a handle by which the pin may be rotated. This angular end extends along and is somewhat spaced from the base of the U, but is outside of the space between the sides of the U.

A U-shaped spring clamp 26 is secured at its base to a block 26a on the outside face of shell 16 at the base of the U, near its upper end, in a position to receive between its spring arms and releaseably hold a radially extending arm 25a (FIG. 6) fixed on bushing 24b on pin 19, when the pin arm 25 is turned from the position shown in FIG. 2 to a downturned position. The hook or flange 23, as shown in FIG. 6 is preferably a double flange that extends in opposite directions laterally from the free or inner end of the pin, but between these hook flanges 23 the pin end is no wider than the adjacent part of the shank of the pin so that it can pass through aperture 15. The shank of the pin adjacent the flanged end is reduced in diameter from the bushing 24 to the flanged end so as to provide a shoulder 27 (FIG. 6) spaced from the flanged end a distance slightly greater than the thiokness of bar 8, so that when the free end of pin 19 is passed through aperture 15 of bar 8 until the flanged end clears the bar 8, the shoulder 27 will engage with bar 8 and limit further movement of the pin through the bar 3. A U-shaped spring clamp 28 (FIGS. 7 and 8) on a block 28a provided on the base wall of the U of the shell 16 is positioned to receive and releaseably hold between its spring arms a radial arm 25a fixed on the bushing 24b of the pin 19, in an angular position in which the flanges or hooks on the free end of the pin 19 can pass readily through the aperture 15' of bar 8.

A handle 29 of insulating material (FIG. 2) on the outside of the base of the U of the shell 16 serves to enable one to manipulate the shell to embrace a lamp 12 and bar 8 and to position them in positions Where the bar 8 can be coupled to the support in the housing. The

handle may be of any shape and preferably is of poor heat conducting material.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is generally similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and corresponding parts have corresponding reference numerals. The main ditference is that the pivoted member is omitted, and the notch 18 is not as deep because in this example of the invention, the shell 16 is used to remove or replace a lamp from the rear of the Searchlight, where the shell embraces the lamp before it reaches the bar 8,

4 V and hence the notch need not be as deep to receive the bar 8 as it was required to be in FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIGS. 1 and 2 the shell embraces the bar 8 before it does the lamp, since the lamp is removed or inserted from the front of the searchlight housing, and hence the shell reaches the bar 3 before it embraces the lamp. in FIGS. 3 and 4 the unnotched part of the top end covers the top of the lamp adequately.

To remove, insert or replace a lamp, the shell is caused to embrace a lamp 12 and the bar 8, with the pin 19 passing through the aperture 15 in bar 8 until the flanged or hooked free end 23 is beyond bar 8, and then the pin 19 is rotated a quarter of a revolution to turn the hooked end or flange 23 crosswise of the slot and lock the pin 19 to bar 8. One may then couple bar 8 to the support in the housing of the searchlight or uncouple it therefrom, and one by moving the shell 16 can keep the operator protected from flying fragments of the lamp, if the lamp should explode. The lamp can also be handled while it is still hot.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A relamping tool for searchlights of the type in which the lamp is detachably mounted in the Searchlight housing on an elongated bar that at one end is detachably coupled to a support in the searchlight housing and between the lamp and the coupled end has an aperture from face to face therethrough in the direction of access to the housing interior when it is desired to insert or remove .a lamp, which comprises a somewhat U-shaped shield of a length and Width somewhat greater than the length and width respectively of the assembly of a lamp to be removed from or inserted into said housing and its mounting bar, a pin extending from that wall of the shield which forms the base of the U, adjacent one end thereof toward the opposite open face of the U, and in a position, of a length, and of a shape and size of its free end, to enter and pass through said aperture in said bar when said shield is passed into the housing and encloses said lamp and bar between its sides, whereby said lamp and bar may be supported by said pin within the shield while the bar is coupled to or uncoupled from its support.

2. The tool according to claim 1, and a handle on a wall of said shield, outside of the U thereof, by which the shield may be held and manipulated in inserting a lamp and its bar into said housing or removing them therefrom.

3. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the end of said shield which carries said pin is open sulficiently to receive said bar as the shield is telescoped about the sides of the lamp and the bar.

4. A relamping tool for searchlights of the type in which the lamp is detachably carried by an upright bar, said bar has a slot extending downwardly from its upper end to receive the shank of a clamping screw on a support in the Searchlight interior by which the bar may be detachably clamped to such support, and also has an aperture from face to face thereof below said slot, which comprises a vertically elongated hollow shield having a handle on one side wall thereof and a face open and of a size to receive and pass into said shield .a lamp to be removed from or applied to said support and also the portion of said bar along which such lamp extends, a pin on said shield adjacent the face thereof opposite from said open face and extending in a direction toward and normal, to the length of said bar when the shield is caused to embrace a lamp on that bar, aligned with and of a size to pass through said bar aperture when the shield encloses a lamp, whereby said shield may be moved to receive therein a lamp to be removed, and at the same time insert said pin through said aperture in said bar, and then one may support said bar and lamp by said pin while the bar is released from said support and the bar and attached lamp then removed together.

5. A relamping tool for searchlights of the type in which the lamp is detachably carried on an upright bar that in turn is detachably connected at its upper end to the interior of the Searchlight, and which bar has an aperture therethrough in an area between its upper end and any lamp mounted on the bar, which comprises a U-shaped shell of a length and width adequate to receive said lamp and bar between the arms of the U and extend beyond both ends of such lamp, a pin mounted on the base of the U of the shell near the center of one end thereof, extending across the space between the arms of the U at an end of the U toward the open face of the U and of a size and length to pass through said aperture in said bar when said shell is moved to embrace said lamp and bar, and hold the bar and lamp while they can be detached from or attached to the interior of said searchlight.

6. The tool according to claim 5, and a handle on exterior of said shell adjacent the cross part of the U thereof.

7. The tool according to claim 5, wherein said pin at its free end has a flange which can engage with that face of said bar it passes after it passes through said aperture, for preventing withdrawal of said pin from said aperture while said bar is being attached to or removed from the interior of the searchlight.

8. The tool according to claim 7, wherein said pin is mounted on said shell for rotation about its longitudinal axis, to angularly change the position of said flange to pass through said bar aperture in one position and to engage with a face of said bar in another position and block said passage through said bar aperture, and means carried by said shell for releasably holding said pin in each of its said angular positions.

9. The tool according to claim 5, wherein said pin is rotatably mounted in said shell and has a flange at its free end that can pass through said bar aperture when in one angular position and not pass through the bar aperture when in another angular position due to rotation of the rod, whereby the flange can be positioned by rotation of said pin to prevent withdrawal of the pin from the bar aperture while one is coupling the bar to or detaching it from the interior of said searchlight.

10. The tool according to claim 9, and means on said shell for engaging and releasably holding said pin in its angular position in which said flange prevents removal of the pin from the bar aperture.

11. The tool according to claim 5, wherein said shell has a wall across its upper end with a notch, in its edge along the open face of the U of the shell, that is of a size to receive said bar when the shell is positioned around the bar and a lamp thereon.

12. The tool according to claim 11, and a member connected to said end wall of said shell for movement thereon selectively between two positions, in one of which it covers the part of said notch beyond the bar, and in the other of which it fully uncovers said notch.

13. A relamping tool for searchlights of the type in which the lamp is detachably carried on an upright bar that is itself detachably connected at its upper end to a support in the interior of said searchlight, and which bar has an aperture therethrough in a direction forwardly and rearwardly and in an area between the said detachable coupling of the bar to said support and a lamp mounted on the bar, which comprises a somewhat U- shaped shell of a length and width adequate to receive said lamp and bar between the arms of the U and extend beyond both ends of such lamp, means carried by said shell adjacent the base of the U and extending toward any said bar received between the arms of the U and through the said aperture in such bar when the lamp and its bar are received between the arms of the U of said shell for temporarily supporting the bar and lamp thereon while the bar is attached to or detached from said support.

14. The tool according to claim 13, and a member carried by the upper end of said shell and movable thereon to cover and uncover selectively that part of the upper end of the space between said arms of the U beyond any said bar received in the space between the arms of the U.

15. A relamping tool for searchlights of the type in which the lamp is carried on an upright member that is itself detachably coupled at its upper end to a support in the interior of the searchlight, which comprises a generally U-shaped protective shell of a length and width adequate to receive said member and a lamp thereon between the arms of the U and extend at least to the ends of the lamp so received, means carried by said shell and formed for detachable coupling to said member when that member is received between the arms of the U, for temporarily supporting and holding said bar with a lamp thereon while said bar is being coupled to or detached from said support.

16. The tool according to claim 15, and means on said shell and adjustable thereon to selectively close and open that part of the upper end space between the arms of the U which is between any said member that is between said arms and the open face of the shell that is opposite from the base of the U.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,022,618 Amend Apr. 9, 1912 1,988,765 Wolf Jan. 22, 1935 2,491,957 Dilley Dec, 20, 1949 2,655,067 Bechler Oct. 13, 1953 2,843,925 Logue July 22, 1958 

